


Family Resources

by rebel_diamond



Series: Alias [7]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 22:57:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17354198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebel_diamond/pseuds/rebel_diamond
Summary: *Winner of the 2018 Rumbelle Prompt Showdown*Written for the final round of the 2018 Rumbelle Prompt ShowdownAuthor: DeshelvedPrompts:  if you don’t mind; real or imagined?; camping





	Family Resources

“I woke up when you were shot,” Gideon chattered proudly from the passenger seat. “I was afraid you were going to die…until I remembered that you couldn’t.” Now that the curse no longer had a hold on him, the shy, hesitant boy was gone and his son, the brave explorer, was restored. To Gideon, this was yet another adventure with his parents.  

The shooter had disappeared. He’d deal with that as Weaver later. After assuring a group of confused bystanders that he was fine, he and Gideon had quickly made their escape. There would be no explaining to an EMT why he was covered in his own blood but without a scratch.  

“What are we going to do about the curse, papa?” Gideon asked.

Rumple remembered the curse rolling through. They’d been camping by the ancient bridge where he’d failed to rid himself of the dagger. In the final minutes he’d thrown every protection spell he could think of over Belle and Gideon. That would explain why the two of them remained a family, Belle was Lacey again, and Gideon had retained his name but only part of his personality.

“With true love’s kiss,” Gideon filled in.

Rumple looked at his son, surprised, “What do you know about true love’s kiss?” he teased.

“It’s in all the books,” he shrugged. “It can’t be me, me and mum already love each other. It’s got to be you,” he reasoned.

“I don’t think it’s going to be that simple, son. Your mother doesn’t like me very much right now.” He went over his last, terse conversation with Lacey.

Gideon scrunched his face. The idea of his parents not liking one another was foreign to him.  _If he only knew_. “You could buy her a book,” Gideon suggested. “Mum loves books.”

Rumple peered down at his son, “In this realm?”

Gideon thought, “Maybe not. In this world she seems to love booze.”

Rumple chuckled, “That’s Lacey.” His son looked at him oddly. “This isn’t the first curse we’ve found ourselves in.” He and Belle had made a concerted effort to protect Gideon from their past. He didn’t want to burden his son with his mistakes. They particularly didn’t want to scare him with tales of the Black Fairy or his stint as Morpheus. Not that Rumple wasn’t honest with his son, but he couldn’t bear to see the disappointment in his son’s eyes. He’d seen it in one’s son before and he couldn’t bear it again. Belle was content to leave their history behind them, to embrace their happy beginning, but the guilt still weighed heavy on him. “Lacey is not…unknown to me.”

Gideon was intrigued, “How’d you break it last time?”

“Magic potion, which I don’t have here. And we don’t know who else is awake.”

“It’s not just us?”

“No,” he answered grimly. He knew Regina and the pirate were here, at least. Gideon wouldn’t remember them. He’d very much like to know how his family got caught up in what was likely one of their messes. “We don’t know who’s a threat to us here. We have to keep the fact that we’re awake a secret.”

Gideon considered this. “Like the time we made that potion and blew up the house but you magicked it all back before mum found out and we didn’t tell her? Keep it a secret like that?”

Rumple couldn’t hold back a smile, “If you don’t mind,” he said wryly.      

They reached Lacey’s apartment and got out of the car, walking to the door.

“You could take her on a date,” Gideon offered.

“I don’t know if she’d agree to that.”

“Nah, I think mum likes you.” Rumple chuckled. “I catch her smiling sometimes after she sasses you.” Gideon opened the door and bound up two steps before noticing Rumple wasn’t following. “Aren’t you coming?” he asked. Comprehension dawned on him. “Oh, I forgot. You’re not my father here,” he finished flatly.

Rumple gripped Gideon’s shoulders. “I am your father anywhere. Any realm, any curse. I am, and always will be, your father who loves you.” Gideon’s eyes pricked with tears and he gave Rumple a quick, tight hug before darting up the stairs. Weaver held back his own tears. Whomever was responsible for making him miss one hour as this boy’s father was going to pay. But not yet. Not until he had his family back together.

Rumple returned to Weaver’s apartment. He surveyed the sparse surroundings. Christ, how was he supposed to woo Lacey as sad, married-to-the-job Weaver? His anger returned tenfold. How many nights had he spent in this depressing apartment when his wife and son were fifteen minutes away?

Letting Gideon go, even to his mother, had been difficult. He wanted to keep them close now more than ever. To watch his son disappear up the stairs and not follow went against every fiber of his being.

He wrenched open the kitchen junk drawer and riffled through it. His fingers enclosed over the object that Weaver had mistaken as clutter. How many times? How many times had they lost and found each other? He slid the moonstone onto his ring finger, albeit of his right hand. It was time to win back his wife, he thought with grim determination. Again.

Rumple fingered his ring as he once again approached Lacey’s apartment. If Gideon was right, and Lacey was warming to him, what would push her over the edge? Was a kiss going to be enough? It wasn’t always. Severe trauma had woken himself and Gideon. What was he to do, push Belle in front of a bus? He took the stairs to the apartment two at a time. If not that, what would be her talisman? He’d been drinking out of the damn teacup for who knows how long and it’d never done a thing to him. But he had gravitated towards it. Maybe Lacey would do the same. Her affinity for hamburgers hadn’t lessened.

His knock was answered by Lacey, who was obviously shocked to see him. Gideon waved excitedly behind her..

Rumple’s eyes devoured his wife, searching for signs of Belle inside Lacey. He automatically sought the gray he found so erotic. “What’s that look for?” she asked bluntly, her hand hovering over her roots self-consciously.

Rumple cooled the heat in his eyes. “You should grow it out,” he told her.

“Why?” she scoffed, “So I look like an old mother?”

“You’re a good mum, Lacey. You should be proud of it.”

She was stunned. “Thank you.”

“May I come in?”

She hesitated and for a moment he thought she was going to ask him for a warrant. Finally she took a step back.

The apartment was filled with used furniture refurbished with blankets and pillows. Christmas lights were strung about. Books, board games and clothes were strewn about. It looked just as cozy and filled with love as all their other homes.

Lacey took in the unnerving sight of Weaver inspecting her home. Maybe the apartment wasn’t much, but it felt like a violation to have him here. This was her and Gideon’s space and she was protective of it.

“It’s good to see you,” he greeted softly.

Lacey’s eyes narrowed. What was he playing at? Where was the smirking, cocky cop she was so familiar with? She retreated to the kitchen to put some distance between them.

Lacey looked across the counter at Weaver and Gideon talking softly. They were so casual and comfortable with one another. She blinked. It was like deja vu, but not. She fought it back. It had taken her too long to make up the rent at pool last night and she’d drank too much. And was her hearing going? Why did they both sound different to her? Weaver’s heavy accent had relaxed and her son’s had become more formal.

They were both looking at her with identical expressions. This scene looked and felt familiar to her, like a memory. But was it real or imagined?

“It’s happening!” Gideon jumped excitedly. Weaver put out a hand, as if to calm him.

Weaver must have sensed her panic.

“You were right, to protect Gideon. But you don’t have to protect him from me. I  _want_  to be part of his life.”

“Yeah, mum,  _like a family_ ,” Gideon looked at her with upraised eyebrows.

What was going on? They were both looking at her expectantly. The hopeful look in her son’s eyes made her entertain the idea. Was it possible? Was she going to risk the hurt and let him in to their family? Could she hope? Could she admit to herself that she wanted to be part of a family?

Maybe he wasn’t who she thought he was. And she was glad.

Weaver wrapped one of her limp hands in his. “Please, Belle, trust me.”

Gideon rushed over, grabbing her other hand and Weaver’s in his. “Who’s Be-,” she broke off.

_She remembered._


End file.
